National Republican., 1887-07-28
BuoHANAN's ESCAPE.
a Plot to Assassinato Him which Was
Never Carried Out.
Indianapolis News.l

Never Carried out.
indianapolis News.l
Jefferson Davis's recent reference 10 the
two attempts that were made TO assasstna.e
him when he was the president OF the south
ern coufederacy was the subject OF interest
last Sunday IN group Of army veterans on
the piazza OF the Saratoga Hotel. 10 the
course OF the evening statement was
made by one OF the speakers there, which
has never till now been put In print,
about plot that was once laid to assas-
sinate President who is supposed to have
passed through his term OF Office without
shadow of danger.
WBesides the cases of Garfield and Lin
coin" he said, "there was a conspiracy
against President Lincoln's predecessor iu
the white house-James Buchanan. The
plot was hatched during President Buchan-
ans tern, in the year 1853, in Kansas,
where was then serving under the gallant
Gen. sumner, during the border troubles.
You can hardly conceive the intensity OF
the hatred for Buchanan that was felt by
the Kansas abolitlonists. IL seethed and
ragged In their breasts, and seemed to be I'M
quenchable. lie was held to he the author
OF all the crimes charged against the border
runians,' and all the bloodshed that kept
the settlers OF the newly-opened territory
In an uproar. To hear Gen. Jim Lane,
who subsequently became senator and com
miited suicide after he had slain his adyer-
sary (Capt. JenkiDs), declaim against Bu'
chanan at the meetings OF the armed squat
ters, was to have your passions wrought up
to madness. In such state OF things, as
matter OF course, there were desperate men
who felt that II Buchanan could be made
away with Kansas would fall into the hands
Of the abolltionists. The. plot, l said, was
hatched In Lawrence. A sum OF money
was raised to carry IL out, and a muscular,
hard.drinking desperado who was concerned
| In II offered to become the executioner. In
the spring OF 1858 this man made trip TO
Washington to see the LAY OF the land, as
| II were, and to prepare for putting into
| effect his murderous design. He returned
| to Kansas In less than month and re-
| ported TO his associates In the plot that the
| lob would be an easy one; that Buchanan
| could be reached without trouble, us he was
in the habit Of lettering In the grounds
about the white house, and that he had
| seen In Washington guDemith's an air-gun
which was Just the thing needed, aud that
he was sure he could make his escape after
the fall of his victim and get back to Kan
sas. lie was assured Of protection as soon
as he got there, after the execution OF his
design. The plot rlrened. The day for the
deed was approaching. The desperate
drank heavily as he bided his time In
Lawrence. 4 slight incident that came
| under my notice, and few words that
overheard one day, put me on the
scent, and when i communicated them
to Gen. Sumner at Fort Riley was
put on special duty to keep a lookout,
barkeeper for Winchell's saloon on Main
street, then called Massachusetts street, IL
Lawrence. After midnight Of one Satur
day the knot Of plotters were In the real
room Of that saloon, around bottle o.
good rye whisky, behind locked door.
learned their game, and on the following
Monday threw up my place as barkeeper
i left town. The facts were communicated
to the proper quarters, and was assigned
to the duty that was made necessary. SOM
time in April l got information that th
desperate was at Ieayenworth. We ereachet
Washington almost simultaneously. From
that time he was under my eye. WithiI
two days he visited the old Germans gul
chop, examined the air-gun which he ha'
previously seen, and which he purchased
for sos. 1t was put In its case aud sent t.
his quarters, which were within gunshot o
the grounds of the white house. That af
| ternoDn Mr.. Buchanan was warned, ant
that night the man, who had ascertainet
had been fugitive fiom justice, was ar
rested upon an Indictment for felony he
had committed two years before In the Dis
| trlCU OI SOlumDlh. NJ Duslucsb Wuo clueu
The man was speedily brought to trial o
the old Indictment, convicted and sentences
to four years In the Albany peutentiary
Before he had served out his term MI
Buchanan had left the white house, Abrs
ham Lincoln held the fort, and the couutr
was under the cloud of war. The man wa
n wreck when he came from the peniter
tiary. He died soon afterward."
''Why have you never told these facts b,
foreF' was asked the veteran on the piaz2
of the Saratoga Hotel when he had con
cluded his startling narration.
"Fcr the same reason, perhaps" he r.
| piled, "that Jefferson Davis did not tell u
story of the attempted assassination ii
now, that did not see any use Of 1t. Bu
/ have all the facts in writing, and they wi
some day be found among my papers, b
which time, 1t is to be hoped, one or tw
men, yet prominent In Kansas politics, wi
have passed from the stage"
james Buchanan, as Is well known, WI
very apprehensve of danger to his life du
ing the last years of his presidency. Ha
. Lincoln and Garfield been more guarde
than they were against danger, they migl
both have escaped the fate tat overtoc
them.